Dabo is so clueless - and easy. Getting into these kinds of quip contests is like hopping into a pool for a race with Michael Phelps.. no matter how good you THINK you can swim, you're going to lose.
Last December, Dabo Swinney went all viral video in a rant against South Carolina’s football program. Trouble is, he was responding to comments from former Gamecock quarterback and current play-by-play man Todd Ellis rather than comments by Steve Spurrier, who he thought had fired the initial zingers.
Well, Spurrier did have a little fun with Clemson this week as his team prepares to play at LSU’s Tiger Stadium — which is nicknamed “Death Valley” — on Saturday. Swinney wasted no time in popping back.
During his Tuesday press conference, Spurrier said this:
“Most of our guys have never been to Death Valley. (LSU’s stadium) is the Death Valley, isn’t it? Or is there another one? There’s two of them. That’s right. There’s two Death Valleys.”
That scores about a two on a scale of one to 10 on the Ol’ Ball Coach Zinger scale. Pretty harmless. And not really an insult to Clemson and its Death Valley of a stadium, either. Just a statement of fact… there are two stadiums known as Death Valley.
But Swinney barked back, which is exactly what Spurrier is always angling for. Yesterday, Clemson’s coach said:
“I can see where he might have a little confusion. Our guys have never been to USC. California is a long way from here. I can see where there would be a little confusion, got two Death Valleys, two USCs, but only one real one.”
Ooooh. Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
Swinney then pointed out that the “original Death Valley” is in Clemson. (Actually, the original Death Valley is in California and Nevada.)
“When he’s winning you say anything you want,” Swinney said of his rival coach. “(Spurrier’s) had more lines that anyone ever will. Classic Spurrier.”
Yes. And whether you’re a fan of Spurrier’s digs or not, you have to admit that no one ever seems to get the better of him when it comes to lippiness. You might remember how he turned Lane Kiffin a beet-shade of red at the SEC Meetings in May of 2009 after Kiffin had made some remarks about Carolina and its coach.
Swinney needs to learn to take the high road. You don’t trade blows with a heavyweight champ. You don’t do Karaoke night with Bono. And you don’t exchange barbs with Spurrier. You’ll lose.
Now that he knows he can get under Swinney’s skin — and because he’s winning — expect a few more verbal grenades to fly from Spurrier in Columbia toward Swinney in Clemson.
